The Joker (2019) Script
Page 6
53
EXT. HA-HA'S, BACK ALLEY - AMUSEMENT MILE BOARDWALK - MORNING
53
Joker exits the back door holding onto his brown shopping bag
under his arm, starts down the alley.
Behind him, Randall hustles out and chases down the alley
after him, still half-dressed for work.
RANDALL
(calling out)
Art! Hold up,--
As he catches up with Joker his red nose falls off, but he's
so out of breath he doesn't realize he lost it--
RANDALL
What the fuck was that about?
Beat.
JOKER
What?
RANDALL
Why would you say that? That, that
*
it was my idea.
*
Joker just looks back at Randall. Sees his red Styrofoam nose
bouncing down the alley behind him.
JOKER
*
...
*
RANDALL
*
You don't get it, do you, buddy,
*
that shit that went down on the
*
subway, that's no joke. They got
*
clown sketches on the front of
*
every fucking paper. It's just a
*
matter of time before the cops come
*
around.
*
Beat.
*
JOKER
I don't know anything about it.
56.
RANDALL
(leans in close; lowers
his voice)
Art, you know you're my boy. I'm
*
not gonna say shit. I just hope you
*
got rid of that gun. That can't
*
come back on me, okay?
*
JOKER
Randall, I didn't shoot anybody.
That wasn't me. And I don't have
time for this, I got somebody real
important I gotta go see.
Joker turns to go--
RANDALL
You know they're sellin' masks.
JOKER
(turning back around)
What?
RANDALL
They're selling masks of your clown
face,-- based off the description I
*
guess. It's like a thing now.
JOKER
What are you talking about?
RANDALL
There's a lot of people in this
city who are happy you did what you
did. If you did it.
JOKER
Randall. Your nose.
RANDALL
What?
Randall touches his face. Realizes his nose is not there.
Joker points to Randall's clown nose tumbling back down the
alley. And Randall hustles after it, chasing after his red
nose blowing skipping away in the wind--
54
INT. METRO TRAIN (MOVING) - COUNTRYSIDE, OUTSIDE GOTHAM - 54
NEXT AFTERNOON
CLOSE ON NEW "KILLER CLOWN" SKETCH ON FRONT PAGE OF THAT
DAY'S TABLOID, a more detailed drawing.
57.
HEADLINE, "KILLER CLOWN STILL ON THE LOOSE!"
SUB-HEAD, "'Kill the Rich' -- A New Movement?"
ANGLE ON JOKER LOOKING DOWN AT HIS NOTEBOOK, STARING AT A
PHOTOGRAPH OF THOMAS WAYNE RIPPED OUT FROM A MAGAZINE, taped
to a page. He glances at his distorted reflection in the
window, takes his hand and parts his hair to the side, more
like Thomas Wayne's hair. Maybe there is a resemblance.
WIDER ANGLE, train is packed with wealthy white businessmen
and a couple businesswomen heading home after work, many of
them reading the same tabloid. The "Killer Clown" sketch of Joker's clown face dots the train. No empty seats -- except
the one next to Joker.
55
INT. TAXI CAB (MOVING), COUNTRYSIDE - AFTERNOON
55
JOKER IN THE BACK OF A TAXI STARING OUT AT THE COUNTRYSIDE,
*
at the trees and green grass and blue sky and open spaces
whizzing by. The sun is getting low, bathing everything in a
golden light.
He doesn't see garbage anywhere.
56
EXT. WAYNE MANOR, FRONT LAWN - MAGIC HOUR
56
*
Joker walking along an intimidating wrought iron fence,
*
surrounding the estate like prison bars, the brown paper
*
shopping bag stuffed under his arm. The big house set up a
*
small hill, evergreens dot the lush grounds. As he walks
around looking for the front entrance, Joker catches a
glimpse of an innocent looking EIGHT-YEAR-OLD BOY tracking
*
him from behind the trees, hiding as he follows.
Joker stops.
He sees the boy stop behind a tree.
Joker continues walking until he gets to the front gate. He
digs into his bag and pulls out the magic wand--
He holds it up for the boy to see.
The boy steps out from behind a tree to get a closer look.
Joker puts the brown bag down on the ground, looks over the
*
wand, pretending like he's trying to figure out what it does.
He waves the wand over the front gate lock to "try and see"
if it will open-- It doesn't.
58.
The little boy walks down toward the fence, face like an
*
angel.
*
Joker waits until he gets closer and then reaches his hand
*
through the fence and hands the kid his magic wand so he can
*
try and figure out what it does--
The boy takes the wand and it goes limp in his hand before he *
can wave it-- He laughs, surprised. He hands it back to
Joker.
The boys sees Joker's face up close, staring at his scarred
*
smile--
Joker straightens the wand back out, and reaches in through
*
the fence again so the kid can give it another try.
*
AND AGAIN THE MAGIC WAND DROOPS IN THE BOY'S HAND. He laughs
*
and gives it back to Joker--
*
Joker examines the wand as if its "broken", stiffens it one
*
last time, crouches down lower, and...
*
Ta-da! A bouquet of flowers bursts out the end of the wand--
Joker smiles and hands him the wand bouquet of flowers--
*
The little boy takes the flowers. Keeps staring at Joker, at
*
the scars around his mouth.
*
Now, he reaches his hand out through the fence and touches
*
Joker's face, tracing his finger around the edges of Joker's
*
mouth, over his scarred smile--
*
Joker closes his eyes -- embarrassed -- but it feels good to
*
him, nobody ever touches him besides his mother.
He starts to smile, when a man's voice shatters the moment--
*
ALFRED (OS)
*
(shouting; slight English
*
accent)
*
Bruce! What are you doing? Get away
*
from that man.
&
nbsp; *
The little boy pulls his hand back. Turns and runs away--
*
Joker looks up and sees a balding, tired-looking, ALFRED
*
PENNYWORTH (50's) bounding down the hill toward them.
*
Joker stands back up.
*
59.
ALFRED
*
(still shouting)
*
What are you doing? Who are you?
*
Little Bruce runs behind Alfred, hiding behind his legs.
*
JOKER
*
My name's Arthur. I'm here to see
*
Mr. Wayne--
*
ALFRED
*
(interrupting)
*
You shouldn't be talking to his
*
son. Why did you give him those
*
flowers?
*
Alfred takes the flower-wand away from the kid--
*
JOKER
*
I, I was just trying to make him
*
laugh.
*
He hands it back to Joker.
*
ALFRED
*
Well it's not funny. Do I need to
*
call the police?
*
JOKER
*
No, please. My mother's name is
*
Penny Fleck. She used to work here,
*
years ago. Can you tell Mr. Wayne
*
that I need to see him?
*
ALFRED
*
(color drains from his
face; beat)
You're her son?
*
JOKER
*
Did you know her?
*
Alfred doesn't say anything.
*
Joker puts his face right up against the bars, whispers so
*
the boy can't hear him--
*
JOKER
*
You don't need to cover for them.
*
I'm sure Mrs. Wayne was very upset
*
when she found out.
*
60.
ALFRED
There was nothing to find out
*
about. Your mother was, was
*
delusional. She was a sick woman.
*
JOKER
*
No. No, just let me speak to Mr.
*
Wayne.
*
Now Alfred leans in closer to Joker, almost looks like he
*
feels some pity for him--
*
ALFRED
*
Please just go, before you make a
*
fool of yourself.
Beat.
JOKER
(blurts out)
Thomas Wayne is my father--
Alfred looks at Joker, and can't help but crack up laughing
*
at him.
*
AND JOKER REACHES THROUGH THE BARS AND GRABS HIM. Pulls him
*
in close, trying to choke him, still holding the wand of
*
flowers in one hand--
*
AS HE CHOKES ALFRED, Joker sees little Bruce, wide-eyed in
*
the shadows, looking out at him in horror.
*
Joker stops.
Lets go of Alfred... Takes off running back down the street
*
away from Wayne Manor, magic wand in hand, leaving the rest
*
of his clown gear behind.
*
CUT TO:
57
EXT. LOWER EAST SIDE, STREETS - NIGHT
57
JOKER'S BACK IN HIS PART OF TOWN, garbage everywhere here.
The neighborhood at night is alive. Loud kids on the street
corners... A drunk seemingly fights no one... Hookers working
the street... He hears a wailing siren...
As Joker turns the corner, he sees AN AMBULANCE PARKED in
front of his building. Lights flashing. Hit with a sense of
dread, he runs toward the building--
61.
58
EXT. STREET, APARTMENT BUILDING - NIGHT
58
A SMALL CROWD OF GAWKERS have gathered around watching the
drama unfold. Shouting and laughing, loud dance music blaring
out an open window, feels like an impromptu block party.
Joker runs up, sees his mother being wheeled down the front
steps unconscious on a stretcher, AN EMT holding an oxygen
bag on her face. TWO DETECTIVES IN PLAIN SUITS following
behind them. It's a chaotic scene.
FROM ABOVE, Joker pushing through the crowd, rushes to his
mother's side. We don't hear what he says to the paramedics
over the music and the crowd, just see them nod okay and
Joker follow after them into the back of the ambulance--
59
INT. CITY AMBULANCE, BACK (PARKED) - NIGHT
59
Joker looking out the back doors as they start to shut close--
CATCHES A GLIMPSE OF SOPHIE, coming out of the building. He
stares at her through the small back door window. Casually
waves at her, trying to connect with her--
Joker sees the two detectives approaching Sophie as the
ambulance pulls away. Speeding away down the street, siren
wailing--
CUT TO:
60
INT. CITY HOSPITAL, EMERGENCY TREATMENT ROOM - NIGHT
60
Joker's standing near the doorway of a large overcrowded
treatment room. Watching a sleep-deprived ER RESIDENT (late
20's), and an EMERGENCY NURSE start to intubate his mother.
He hears shouts and cries of pain from around the crowded
room.
Joker turns away when he sees them insert a thin endotracheal
tube into her mouth and down through her larynx. It makes him
gag--
61
EXT. CITY HOSPITAL, ER - NIGHT
61
Joker sits on a bench outside the bustling emergency room.
He’s getting some fresh air, but he picked a weird spot to do
it.
He watches the sick and dying being rushed through the glass
doors. Opening and closing. This happens in the background
throughout the scene.
62.
The two detectives walk up to Joker, interrupting him
watching the doors. Gotham police detectives, GARRITY (50's),
grey hair, and BURKE (30's), his partner.
DET. GARRITY
Mr. Fleck, sorry to bother you, I’m
Detective Garrity, this is my
partner Detective Burke.
Joker looks up at them. Doesn't say anything.
DET. GARRITY
We had a few questions for you, but
you weren’t home. So we spoke to
your mother.
JOKER
You did this to her?
DET. GARRITY
What? No. We just asked her some
questions and she started getting
hysterical-- hyperventilating,
trouble speaking-- then she
collapsed. Hit her head pretty
hard.
JOKER
They told me she had a stroke.
Beat.
DET. GARRITY
S
orry to hear that.
AND JOKER BURSTS OUT LAUGHING, he can't stop it.
The detectives are taken aback. They don't know what to make
*
of him laughing. They share a look.
DET. BURKE
(confused)
I'm lost. Is something funny?
JOKER
(laughter choking up in
his throat)
No I,-- I have a, a--
Tears rolling down his face, he takes out one of his cards
and hands it to Det. Burke. Burke glances over the card, a
skeptical look on his face.
63.
DET. BURKE
Okay. But we have some questions
for you.
DET. GARRITY
About those subway killings from a
few weeks ago.
Joker pauses for a moment, his laughter subsiding. He holds
his breath.
JOKER
I don't know anything about that.
DET. GARRITY
We have an eyewitness who described
a white male, about 6 feet tall, in
clown make up. Or a clown mask.
Spoke to your boss at Ha-Ha's, Mr.
Vaughn, and he said you were on a
job the day of the shooting.
Joker's still holding his breath, he nods yes.
DET. GARRITY
(just continues)
He also said you got fired that
day,-- For bringing a gun into the
children's hospital.
And Joker cracks up again, his laughter coming back harder--
He covers his mouth with his hand, shaking his head no, his
face now turning red.
DET. GARRITY
You weren’t fired?
Joker catches his breath as the intensity of his laughter
starts to wane, petering out.
JOKER
Not for having a gun. That was prop
gun. Part of my act.
Joker's laughter finally stops for good.
DET. BURKE
So why were you fired?
JOKER
They said I wasn’t funny.
The detectives share another look.
64.
Joker stands up.
JOKER
Now, if you don’t mind, I have to
go back and look after my mother.
Detective Burke steps close to him, holds up the card that
Joker handed him--
DET. BURKE
Hey lemme ask you a question? This
condition of yours,-- Is this real
or is this like some sorta clown
thing?
JOKER
Clown thing?
DET. BURKE
I mean, is it part of your act?
JOKER
What do you think?
And Joker walks away-- heads for the sliding glass doors.
Only the motion detector doesn’t engage--
AND HE SLAMS RIGHT INTO THE GLASS DOOR.
HARD.
He bounces back.
62
INT. HALLWAY, NURSE'S STATION - CITY HOSPITAL - NIGHT
62
Joker walking down the hallway, ER flooded with the poor and
uninsured. Overwhelmed doctors and nurses trying their best
to keep up. He stops at the busy nurse's station, and stands
there for a moment, trying to get a nurse's attention--